


Is it mercy or cruelty ?

by StoryFabricator



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Blindness, Deaf Character, Muteness, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-05-14 18:34:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14774975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StoryFabricator/pseuds/StoryFabricator
Summary: "He is in such bad shape, what do you recommend?" Rossi asked the doctor."Euthanize would be a mercy." was the Dr. reply without hesitation."I don't think he would see it that way." Spencer pipped in.





	Is it mercy or cruelty ?

**Author's Note:**

> I had to write something. I'm stuck in a depression and this has been on my mind, I might make a long story on this idea. But for now, this one itself, is a one-shot. Opened and Closed.

For four years Hotch had been missing. He had left the BAU and then, poof. Vanished. 

Jessica and Jack came to them asking for help, Hotch would never leave his son, something was wrong.

And they were right. 

 

Hotch had been missing for four years; taken by a group and sold as a slave to anyone who could afford him.

When the team tracked down the group responsible, only able to get a few in custody while the majority got away, they had found Hotch. 

He was in bad shape, one look could tell, they rushed him to ER the moment they could. And he underwent so much surgery the team was starting to wonder if he would ever be out of the woods.

When doctors did come out at least with news, it wasn't anything they expected.

"He will heal with time, but he will never be the same. There are some things that just can't be undone." 

Spencer was the first to question what that meant. 

"We discovered whoever did this to him, had him put under some unorthodox surgery. His vocal cords were cut and removed, the optic nerves of his eyes were snipped, and both eardrums are busted." he frowned. 

Taking in this info Spencer and the others just stared trying to understand what all that meant, what it meant for their friend, their ex-unit chef. 

"He can only rely on touch." The doctor replied seeing how they, not unable, but unwilling, to connect the dots.

"What do you recommend then?" Rossi asked. 

"Euthanize would be a mercy." was the doctor's reply without hesitation. 

"I don't think he would see it that way." Spencer pipped in. 

"Reid!" Morgan snapped. "This is just as hard on us as it is you. You 'know' Hotch would not want to live like that~this...put your self in his shoes."

Spencer walked up to Morgan almost in his face. "I have put myself in his place, and I would at least want a CHOICE!" 

Rossi grabbed Spencer by the shoulder to pull him back slightly. "Spencer. Don't your emotions override your logic. What are we to do when he has a PTSD attack? He can't hear or see you, he can't even speak to us to help us know what is happening. This would be out of love, he will never suffer again."

Spencer shook his head. "Maybe I just think its a bit curl to not give him a voice in the whole thing." 

Rossi frowned. "Maybe so, but giving him false hope and letting him suffer until he feels he is ready is even curler." 

Spencer teared up and left the room going to Hotch. 

Hotch looked like he was waking up, his eyes open anyways, looking at nothing. Spencer took his hand and felt Hotch flinch and try to pull away, Spencer began hushing sounds, though he knew Hotch could not hear and began to rub words into Hotch's arm. 

'it is OK. It is OK. It is Spencer. You are safe....safe." he went back over the words again and again until Hotch was able to feel them and understand them. He began to sob.

He was safe. 

The team walked in shortly after Hotch settled and all Spencer could do was look down, tears spilling from his eyes. He wasn't dumb, he knew why they were here. And he couldn't stop them. Wouldn't stop them....because maybe they were right after all.

Everyone gave Hotch a hug, something he took as a welcome home, and safe, you're safe. He smiled, cried and clung. Four years of pain and suffering, and now he was home. He wanted to feel his son. 

What he didn't know was it was all hugs goodbye as well.

Before Spencer made himself known and clung to Hotch, hugging him the longest, the doctor shot the euthanize-drug into his IV drip. 

Within moments Hotch felt his heart slowing down, and Spencer's tears on his neck....and it became clear what was happening. 

They were just...giving up on him.

 

Before his world became even darker than it was, he had a momentary thought. 

 

Was this meant to be a mercy or just a twisted cruelty? Saving him, just to kill him...


End file.
